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Friday, October 23, 2015

Preparing For Frozen Embryo Transfer *FET*

For the passed couple of months I have been having tons of blood draws, and changing my medication intake in order to prepare us for hopefully getting pregnant in the next couple of months (mid October November to be exact).

Given my situation, I am some what happy that Chad and I have "planned" to the best of our ability for this and have given ourselves enough time. I thought this process was going to be a wham-bam thank you ma'am, but it is definitely a long drawn out process.

The two my doctor was mostly concerned about was my Thyroid Levels and Vitamin D.

Vitamin D Standard Range: 32.0-100.0 ng/mL

My Vitamin D Level: 15.3

Thanks Wisconsin for the amazing sunlight.

To fix that I have been on a 50,000 mg dose of Vitamin D, once a week for four weeks with a repeat blood draw to see what they are at.

Side effects: Did not had any.

Thyroid Levels Standard Range: 0.450 - 4.500 uIU/mL

My Thyroid Levels: 2.72

My thyroid levels were completely normal, but they recommended I take a thyroid medication (levothyroxine 25 MCG tablet) to help lower them. Apparently there have been studies that having a TSH level lower then 2.5 could potentially improve my chances of a successful pregnancy.

I take it in the morning before breakfast...okay I do not eat breakfast, but does coffee count?

With that said they increased by dosage from 25 MCG to 37.5 MCG daily (1 1/2 tablets) daily.

Side Effects: Sleepy before bed, but once I lay down my minds racing.

I was not tested for my Vitamin D levels this time around since I was still working through the medication I was prescribed.

Third Blood Draw 07/07/2015:Thyroid Levels Standard Range: 0.450 - 4.500 uIU/mLMy Thyroid Levels: 2.710Side Effects: I feel like I can conquer anything. I have SO much energy in the mornings where before this medication I was always extremely tired.

Vitamin D Standard Range: 32.0-100.0 ng/mL

My Vitamin D Level: 30Side Effects: None
With my vitamin D levels at 30, they felt comfortable having me take a 2,000mg daily vitamin D supplement. I was elated to see this number change!

On top of those two medications, I am on a super B complex, was on Tamoxifen (until September then I went off of it) and I have sprinkled in some anxiety medication. Yes, I have to admit my breast cancer journey finally hit me and I had a total melt down about four months ago. Hitting my "rock bottom" I realized that I could not do this alone and met with the most amazing Psych-Oncologist through Froedtert. With her help, listening to me, letting me cry and scream and vent out my frustrations, along with some medication I am on easy street. My focus is back, I'm more mellow and not feeling like a raging bitch. (Just being honest).

I was very happy to hear that my doctor said my counts will not delay the fertility procedure!!

I recently had my IUD taken out and was just told that the first day of my September period, I need to contact the fertility clinic so they can start me on some birth control medications.

All I had between my then and my FET was a yearly brain MRI....

SCREECH....HAULT.....

In August I had a brain MRI as part of my Li Fraumeni Cancer Surveillance and they found a spot, which results in a follow up scan scheduled for October 15th.

The time between the first and second scan felt like an eternity, and I was extremely nervous when it came up. I brought my mom with me to this appointment, the hubby would have been there, but he had just started a new position, and anyways we did not need to make a party out of this; taking my own advise to NEVER go to an appointment alone! I had the MRI done, pretty standard stuff, then we walked over to the area of Froedtert where my doctor is located and checked in. We waited, and waited then a nurse came out, "Emily?" All I could think was, "Oh crap, I cannot believe this." We walked in back, weighed me, measured my height and brought me into the room. The nurse told me that another nurse would come in, then the doctor. Right there I was like, "That cannot be good, two separate people. I need a cocktail." And we waited...and waited and with each second that went by, feeling like an eternity, I was getting more and more nervous. I could literally feel my body getting hotter and hotter, palms sweaty, anxiety was more than likely at an all time high, and the Valium had wore off. Then finally the nurse came in. She introduced herself, but I cannot remember her name, and cut to the point. My scan was all good. She did not have many details, but frankly I did not need much more. My mom and I both had tears of absolute happiness streaming down our faces and I could finally breath. I gave the nurse the biggest hug I have given anyone in a long time. She said that they were running behind an did not want to keep us waiting to make us nervous. Once she left shortly there after the doctor came in and showed my scans, which showed no change! Leaving the hospital that day was the first time in I do not know how long that I had a sense that everything was working out.

With that positive news I contacted my fertility doctor, since with the results of my first scan left them putting things on hold until we knew what was going on with the "freckle". I let him know the good news and he told me I needed to come in for a Hysterosonogram. My "regular" doctor was not available to do the procedure, but the woman who did it was so great. With that procedure there is no prep. I brought my mom with me for luck went into a room and they inserted a catheter through my cervix, and filled my uterus with saline and did an ultra sound to check my uterus for any abnormalities. Needless to say, the positive vibes that I have been sending out must have worked because my doctor said it was the "cleanest uterus she has ever seen"! Yay for me. No polyps or any other abnormalities that would need to be addressed. And FYI, the procedure was pain free. Very VERY mild cramping, but nothing terrible.

With that said now the next step is to contact them on the first day of my next period and we can move forward. Since my cancer was Estrogen/Progesterone positive, I will not be introducing those drugs as my prep for the transfer, rather my doctor will just monitor my natural cycle and go from there! November will hopefully be mine, the hubby's and the frozen ones month for two of the three of them to be transferred. My life has been filled with daily and nightly medications, blood draws and LOTS and LOTS of water, but I'm hoping this will pay out in the end with a little bundle of joy(s) that keeps us up all night, drives us crazy but that we love more than anything.